SIlent Assassin.
by ChikenWingZero
Summary: A killer is coming for Zechs and Noin's yet unborn child.


Okay...um...what am I supposed to write here. Something about not owning Gundam Wing? (silently talks to self: okay, that's what everyone else is saying...so go with the flow, I guess...) I don't own Gundam Wing, Sunrise does. These character names are copyrighted by them, and I am only "borrowing" them for a while. (talks to self again: there. IF I did something wrong and I get sued, it's gonna be your fault.)   
  
The Silent Stranger  
  
Zechs Merquise sat nervously on the couch. The room was dead silent, as the only sound to be heard was the ticking of the clock, which Zech's eyes were so intently watching. Noin said she'd be back from the doctors at about five, and it was 4:55. The Ex-Oz pilot wrung his hands nervously, a feeling he seldom had even when fighting against the most overwhelming odds.   
The door opened. Zechs leapt to his feet.   
Noin quietly closed the door behind her. She would've looked no different than she did 5 years ago, but...  
Zechs walked forward and gently hugged his pretty wife. After about two seconds, he drew back and said, "So, what'd the doctor say?"   
Noin smiled. "Doctor Irving said everything's okay. He'll be a perfect, healthy little boy when he comes. "   
Zechs visibly relaxed. As he led his wife to the sofa, he traced his fingers down her stomach, now three times bigger than normal size. "So it's a boy?"   
Noin smiled mischievously. "I don't know. You'll have to find out yourself."   
  
***********  
Doctor Irving was packing up for the day. He had grabbed his suitcase and was just about to leave when...  
A man walked into his office. He was of about medium height, brown hair and was dressed in blue pants and a gray, zipped-up jacket.   
"Can I help you?" asked Doctor Irving.  
The man paid no attention. He walked over around the office a bit, looking at this here, and that there, until doctor Irving again, asked, "Can I help you?"   
The man turned around. "Yes. You can."   
Doctor Irving was amazed at the man's voice. It was hard, cold as steel. Small beads of sweat began to form on the back of the Doctor's neck.   
"I'm looking for a Mrs. Lucrezcia Noin. Is she here?"   
"She...she was just here about fifteen minutes ago..."   
"And her baby?"   
Doctor Irving stuttered, "I...I'm not sure she would want a stranger to know that..."  
"What did you say about her baby?" the man asked again.   
"I...I can't tell you that."   
The man looked down at the floor. He then looked up again, and his eyes seemed to shine like cold steel reflecting moonlight. "Then your work here is done," he said softly.   
He threw a backhanded chop at the doctor's neck. Blood sprayed forward onto the white walls. The doctor's head hit the floor with a dull thud.   
  
***********   
" So Noin and Zechs have a BABY now?" Duo asked incredulously.   
"I don't see what's so funny about it," Relena quietly said.   
The five pilots, Relena, Hilde, Dorthy and Sally were all in Relena's mansion. They had evidently just heard the phone call from Zechs and Noin.   
"Well," said Duo, leaning back in his chair, " I thought it was weird when they got married, but now they have a kid."   
"I don't see what's so funny about Mr. And Mrs. Merquise having a child," said Quatre mildly, "They've been married for about three years now."   
"Yeah...but still, I...I just can't picture Zechs Merquise the family man." Duo put on his mock-Zechs-voice. "Son, when I was your age, I blew up a chunk of the earth with the Libra's Cannon..."   
Hilde threw a pillow at Duo.   
"So they're inviting us to go over to the colony for the week?" asked Quatre.   
Relena nodded. "I might even consider letting Duo go if he keeps his tongue civil."   
Duo put on a pouty look. "It's no fair! Zechs even invited Heero, but not me!"   
Everyone laughed. "So it's all a big get-together!" exclaimed Hilde, "I can't remember the last time we had one of those."   
"For once, it's gonna be just like the good ol' days," laughed Duo.   
"Without the weapons and war, mind you."   
  
***********  
"Zechs, there's no reason to be like this. It could've just been a coincidence."   
Zechs was pacing up and down the room. Ever since he had heard of Doctor Irving's murder, he was convinced that there was some danger posed upon his wife. "It can't be a coincidence. Fifteen minutes after you see him, he ends up dead, with his HEAD chopped off in a way that would defy logic. I'd say there's someone after you."   
Noin shook her head. "I don't think so. Anyways, I'm not going to let you be like this when the others arrive. I think a positive tone would be pretty good at a time like this. It's a happy occasion, right? Let's not think about your 'conspiracies' and 'assassins' and all that other crap, okay?"   
Zechs sighed. "Fine. But if someone else turns up missing a head..."   
Noin laughed. "Relax Zechs, it's going to be fine."   
  
***********   
The pilots and their friends were greeted warmly by Noin and Zechs. They laughed and talked just like old times, with Heero sitting silently in a corner, and Zechs looking at him like he was some long-lost nemesis from long ago.   
Finally, Hilde snapped her fingers and stood up. "Ok, guys, you know what? Girl talk time!"   
"What?" asked Trowa.   
Hilde shrugged. "You know...girl talk. No guys. Poof, begone! Out! Out!" she made shooing motions with her hand.   
The five pilots knew better than to argue. This would always happen whenever they got together; there would be a two-hour time where the guys would have to leave and not be allowed back in until then, no ifs thens or buts.   
Duo sighed. "Let's go...Zechs can show us around or something."   
The five pilots piled into the back of Zechs' car. Duo whistled. "Nice. So does this car have Zero System or something?"   
The other pilots ignored him. They drove off and left the girls to themselves inside the house.   
  
***********  
Hilde plopped down on the sofa next to Noin. "So...it's a boy?"   
Noin shook her head. "Big secret. I want it to be a surprise. I haven't even told Zechs yet."  
Ooohs and Aaaahs came from the group. "What are you going to name it?" asked Sally.   
Noin shrugged. "Dunno. Haven't decided."   
Relena suddenly changed the subject. "Hey, you were saying that Zechs should stop worrying? About what?"   
Noin shifted uncomfortably in her chair. "Well...you know the doctor I've been seeing? Half an hour after I left from my visit to him, he got...murdered, and Zechs is all saying that it's some plot to get me or something..."   
Relena frowned. "And why is that a reason not to worry?"   
Dorthy nodded. "Yeah, I still think it's too lucky to be a coincidence. I mean..."  
"Oh drop it, will you?" grumbled Noin. "Come on. I told you, nothing's going to happen."  
There was a rustling in the bushes in the yard.   
Noin put a hand to her lips and motioned to Relena. "Go see what it is, but don't let it see you."   
Relena silently crept up to the window. She peered out and took a quick look, then quickly came back to the sofa.   
"It's a man," she whispered. "He's about medium height, with brown hair...his clothes are like normal... he's gone now. He walked off when I took a look."   
Everyone sighed with relief. "Noin...",began Hilde.  
Noin sighed. "No. I know what you're thinking, Hilde, but please, don't tell anyone. I...I don't want all this attention just when I'm pregnant...and plus, I really don't want Zechs to worry..."  
"Yeah, but if some guy is stalking you..."   
"No! Look...let's just all forget about this. I want each of you to swear that you won't tell anyone."  
No one said anything.   
"Swear! Please, I don't want Zechs doing this and that about some guy who could be anyone...Swear!"   
"Ok...Noin, I won't tell my brother."   
"Yeah...I won't say anything to Zechs either."   
"Or me."  
"Or me."   
"Me neither."   
Noin smiled. "Thanks, you guys."   
***********  
When the six pilots came back, it was already time for dinner. The food smelled delicious, and six guys outside by themselves obviously lacked the sense of going out to eat. Relena pulled Heero aside.   
"Heero...There's a favor I want to ask you."  
Heero looked at her with blank eyes.  
"There's someone stalking Noin. I don't what this guy's intentions are, or anything else for that matter, but can you please look into this thing? Look after Noin?"   
"Hn."   
"And don't tell Zechs anything, ok?"   
"Hn."   
"Thanks Heero."   
"OW!" a shout came from the kitchen table.  
"Maxwell, you touch that food again, and..."  
"But I'm hungry..."   
Laughing, Relena sat down next to Noin. Heero took his place next to Duo, who was rubbing his fingers. Wufei scowled and brandished the ladle.   
Noin smiled. "Now that everyone's here...we can start eating."   
Relena held up her cup. "To Noin and her child!"   
Everyone toasted to her. As did Heero, who's Prussian blue eyes caught movement of something outside. He looked at for a second, and turned back to the table to find Zechs looking at him suspiciously. Heero shrugged. As Duo stuffed his plate with a pile of food, Heero sat back and considered what tonight might be like.   
"Hn..."  
***********  
Heero quietly slipped on his spandex shorts. He decided at dinner that he would go look in the late Doctor Irving's study, to see what he was up against. It was about 1:00 at night. If he walked, which he would, then he probably be back by 2:00. No one would miss him if they were sound asleep.   
Heero walked down the street. No one was awake yet, and the whole city seemed silent. Heero climbed into a window of a large white building that said, "Colony Hospital." He walked down the halls to Doctor Irving's room. Surprisingly, the door was open. Heero walked in.   
The room was nothing unusual. Awards and Certificates hung on the wall. Heero opened some drawers, all which contained normal things; stethoscope, scalpels, tongue depressors... Heero scowled. So much for checking out the doctor's study.   
He turned and was about to leave and closed the door behind him. Then he stopped. He turned around and looked back on the door handle. By the looks of things on the inside, the door had been locked when doctor Irving was killed. Heero turned the doorknob. The silver handle turned a full 360 degrees. Someone had broken the door handle, by what seemed like brute strength alone. Heero paused and considered. Some supernatural skill didn't seem like some random guy stalking, but more like some assassin coming for Noin. Heero frowned, and was about to go when strong arms locked onto the back of his neck.   
***********  
Wufei was meditating. He had gotten up at about 1:30, and finding that he couldn't fall asleep no matter what, left the bed to go to the yard. Maybe some meditating would help him sleep. Wufei closed his eyes and breathed deeply. In and out, in and out...  
Snap.   
Wufei opened his eyes, suddenly alert. There was someone in this backyard with him. Wufei didn't look around, but listened. Someone was close. Suddenly, Wufei leapt to his feet and whirled around. His fist connected with the chin of a man with short brown hair, and a zipped up gray jacket. He swung a backhanded blow towards Wufei.   
The Chinese boy dodged back, nursing his hand. Punching the man was like punching a wall. Wufei jumped up and executed a whirling kick, connecting solidly with the man's chest. The man, instead of falling, reached up and grabbed Wufei by the shins. With one hand, he squeezed hard. Wufei felt his femur break, and fell to the floor. His left leg oozed blood, and he found that it was hard to walk. He cursed softly as the man with brown hair slowly walked towards him, eyes cold as ice.   
***********  
Heero choked. The other man was strong. Upon finding that he couldn't get out of the headlock, Heero elbowed the other man in the stomach. Heero spun around, and the man grabbed him by the shirt and slammed him against the wall.   
"What the HELL ARE YOU DOING HERE?!" demanded Zechs.   
Heero was silent.   
Zechs slammed him into the wall again. "Listen, Yuy, I don't give a fuck what my sister tells you to do, but you butt the hell out of my business, you hear me?!"   
Heero looked down and spun the door handle once in a circle. Zechs looked at it, then put Heero down. He paused to examine the door handle, then looked back at Heero.   
"This guy was strong," said Heero calmly, "And that's about all we'll find here."   
Zechs looked up at Heero. "Yuy, Stay out of my business. Go Home, NOW."   
Heero nodded. "I'm done here anyways." He turned to leave.  
Zechs scowled and followed him out.   
  
***********   
The man grabbed Wufei by the shirt collar and lifted him up with one hand.   
From inside, Wufei could hear two people walk in the door. By the sound of their voices, it was Heero and Zechs.   
"Yuy, listen, you never go Mr. Detective here again. You get your ass away from anything concerning my wife and me, got it?"   
"Hn..."   
There was a loud crash, as Wufei's body sailed through the glass door into the living room.   
"What the fuck?!" shouted Zechs. The man with brown hair walked towards them from outside.   
Heero drew his gun. He fired once at the man. It hit the man in the chest. He staggered back a pace, but kept coming. Blood oozed out of the bullet hole. Heero fired. Again. Again. Each bullet hit the man, yet seemed to not even to slow him down.   
Heero cursed, bent down behind a wall, and took out the empty magazine in the gun. He pulled out another clip from his spandex shorts. "Grab Chang and run when I tell you to," he said to Zechs. Zechs nodded. Heero came out from behind the wall, and leveled his gun at-  
Nothing. The man was gone. The only sound in the room was Wufei, silently moaning.   
At this point everyone who was asleep came pouring down the stairs. Duo, Relena, Quatre, Trowa, Sally, Catherine, the whole crew.   
"What happened here?" asked Noin.   
"Never mind that," snapped Zechs. He looked at everyone. "Pack up. We need to leave here as soon as possible."   
***********  
A day later...  
"Now way we are going home!" shouted Hilde.   
An argument had been raging in the hotel room they now lived in for over a half a day now. The pilots plus Zechs and Noin argued that the girls should go home. The girls insisted that they stay and see what happens.   
"Hilde, babe, we've been through this a hundred times. It's way too dangerous here with some silent killer who can crush Wu-man's leg with one hand," frowned Duo.   
Wufei nodded. The encounter with the stalker had been unpleasant for all of them, but Wufei in particular. His leg was broken, and that would at least take a month to heal.   
His pride, however, took longer.   
"Yes. Sally, Hilde, ALL of you need to go back. This is no place for the weak."   
"But we might be able to..."   
"Help?" asked Zechs incredulously, "No offense, but how in the heck are you going to help?"   
"Well," began Hilde, "We...could..." She turned to the other women, eyes begging for help of some sort.   
"Um...I could throw knives at him," piped up Catherine.   
"At some guy who can take two shots to the chest and not even slow down?" asked Duo with a humorless laugh.   
Catherine looked disappointed. All the girls did.   
Finally, Dorthy threw her hands up into the air. "Fine. But you guys have to call us at least once every two days, to confirm that you're not dead."   
Quatre laughed. "Agreed."   
Zechs clapped his hands together and stood up. "Okay then. I'll have the shuttle come and take the five of you home. We'll call each of you once every two days starting today. Agreed."   
"Hmph."   
***********  
"Okay, they're gone." It was Zechs, Heero, Duo, Quatre, Trowa, Wufei (lying in bed with a cast over his leg) and Noin. "Now listen. Here's a floor plan of the building. If we place one person to guard each floor, we might be able to keep Noin safe enough for her to deliver her baby and then deal with this son of a bitch."   
"Hn."   
"Okay. Trowa can stay on the first floor, Quatre can take the second floor, I don't think Wu-man's gonna be going anywhere, but he can take a look at everything via the security cameras," Duo paused and looked at Wufei. It was obvious that he wanted to be out there fighting like the others, but couldn't. Wufei was a warrior indeed, and now he was like a bird in a cage. Duo couldn't help but feel sorry for him.   
"Heero can get the last floor before the top," continued Quatre, "And Zechs can stay here with Noin."   
"Okay. Works for me."   
"Hn."   
***********  
Whatever the negative things you could say about the pilots, you had to give credit to them; they were efficient. In less than a day, they had turned an ordinary hotel room into a fortress. Though it didn't seem like it, the four Gundam Pilots could rush to any spot in the hotel in less than 30 seconds. A roach would've been killed before it reached the third floor.   
"Pilots, everything okay down there?" asked Wufei from his bed. His fingers clacked over the keyboard as he checked one surveillance camera after another.   
"Everything's fine on the first floor."   
"Second floor is A-okay, Wu-man."   
"Third floor okay."   
"Hn."  
"Noin's fine up here, Chang."   
Wufei sighed. "It's been two days now, and the enemy hasn't shown his face."   
"Well, he did get shot twice in the chest..."  
"Dude, Q-man, he didn't even slow down. If you're suggesting he's dead, you're sorely mistaken."   
"Hn," agreed Heero.   
This kept up for a day more. At night, the pilots were starting to nod off. Duo was about to fall asleep, when he decided to go down to the lobby for coffee. Hell, Quatre and Trowa were both asleep, and wouldn't be up until their shift in about a half-hour. Duo calmly strolled down the long hallway and went into an elevator. He pressed the button for the ground floor. Humming to himself, he filled a cup of café, and turned around...to see a man with short hair and a gray jacket standing a couple yards away.   
"HOLY SHIT!" shouted Duo. The man moved with lightning speed, catching Duo by the shirt and lifting him about two feet in the air. Duo, in response, flung his steaming coffee into the man's face. The short-haired man shouted and clutched his eyes, releasing Duo from his death grip. Duo ran past him into the elevator. He jammed furiously on the door-close button. The man opened his eyes again and ran towards the elevator. The door closed when he was a foot away. Duo breathed a sigh of relief.   
CRUNCH! A fist rammed itself through the metal elevator door. It dragged a long gash in the elevator door as the elevator ascended. The man's fist shrank back into the wall.   
Duo picked up his cell phone. "Shit, guys wake up!He's inside the building!"   
Instantly, everyone was up. Quatre and Trowa ran towards the elevator on an intercept course. Quatre shouted into the headphone. "Duo! We're going to stall him by pressing the buttons on each floor! Hang on!" Trowa ran forward and pushed the button on the second floor. He then grabbed Quatre's hand and bolted up the stairs. The elevator containing the silent assassin stopped on the second floor. The man inside saw Quatre and Trowa running for the stairs. The door closed, and he was on his way towards the top floor again.   
Upstairs was likewise havoc. Zechs pulled his wife up by the hand. "Noin, we've gotta get you outta here!" Zechs put on his headphones, "Yuy! Dammit answer me!"   
"Hn."  
"Any way you can stop that guy from reaching the top floor."  
Heero changed his channel to talking to Duo. "Maxwell, what elevator are you in?"   
"Umm... the one on the left...No Right! Right!"  
"Wufei, which elevator is that?" Heero called Wufei.   
"That's elevator number two!"   
"He's in the other elevator!" shouted Duo.  
"Wufei, I need you to manually open the door to elevator number one!"   
Wufei tapped opened the security of the hotel. He punched in the command. "Ok, done!"   
Heero walked towards the open door. He looked down the elevator shaft. It was less than a story away. Heero drew his gun and fired at the elevator cable. Once. Twice. Three times. The cable snapped, and elevator number one plunged down the long elevator shaft. Heero smiled in satisfaction.  
"Duo, get to the top floor, pick up Zechs and Noin, then go down to the garage and get the hell out of here!"   
Zechs and Noin walked into the elevator. Duo was in there. "Come on, come on, hurry up!" Duo hit the number for parking garage. When they were down there, they stopped and got into Duo's car. Duo put the keys in, and started it. Nothing happened.   
Duo looked in his rear view mirror. He saw two things that horrified him: a bucket of water, it's contents presumably poured into the engine...and the silent stalker headed their way.   
"Shit, how did he survive?" asked Duo.   
Zechs was silent. He stepped out of the car and leveled his gun at the man. He was about to fire when...  
Headlights streaked across the approaching killer. A car slammed into the short-brown haired man, tossing him into the air. The window came down, and a person they had never seen before waved at them. "Come on, Get in!" he shouted.   
"Duo! What's going on down there?!" demanded Heero.   
"Umm...some guy just came and ran that son of a bitch down. He's telling us to get into his car...I'm not sure we should..."  
"Better make up your mind!" shouted Noin. She pointed at the figure lying facedown on the road. He was already starting to get up.   
"Fuck that! Let's go!" shouted Duo. He grabbed Noin by the hand and leapt into the stranger's car, along with Zechs. They sped out of the parking garage and onto the street, where they were finally greeted with some good news. Quatre and Trowa had managed to get Wufei and their car out. Duo, Zechs, Noin and their mysterious driver pulled up next to Quatre's red convertible. "Where's Heero?" asked Duo. As if on cue, Heero landed on the seat next to where Wufei lay, from a window in the second floor. "Let's go!" shouted Heero.   
Both drivers stepped on the gas. Tires squealed as they both drove off into the night.   
On the floor of the parking garage, the man stood up. He wiped his bloody nose clean, and glared with cold eyes the two cars that were speeding down the street.   
  
************  
The six pilots and Noin sat on a couch. Their mysterious savior stood.   
Duo began, "Thanks for saving our lives. You have no idea how lucky-"  
"Who are you?" asked Heero coldly.   
The man grinned. "My name is John Dellmar. And my assignment was to protect you from that man who's trying to kill you unborn child." He nodded to Noin.   
"Who is that man? What do you know about him?" asked Zechs.   
"His name is Gary Miles. He's a ESUN assassin."   
"What?" asked Duo.   
"You heard me. He's a special prototype assassin, designed to kill without emotion. His body has been altered. He's many times stronger than a human, and faster too. His body heals itself, and his bones are coated with titanium."   
Duo gave a low whistle.   
"As you have seen, they're virtually unstoppable."   
"Why is it after my baby?" asked Noin.  
"Well, you see," began Dellmar, " ESUN fanatics believe that if an offspring of Milliardo Peacecraft would ever be born, then he might have the danger of creating another White Fang."  
"How could Relena ever approve of that?"  
"She wouldn't. Relena never found out, nor did anyone. The project team that developed these prototype assassins had their funding cut off to make more mobile suits during the war. When the war was over, the ESUN fanatics were afraid of another White Fang coming to power. So they secretly continued their project, and people they had bribed in the treasury had secretly gave a portion of the fund to them."   
"Hn."   
"So what are we going to do now?" asks Zechs. It was obvious that he was frustrated; all the pilots were. They weren't used to the fact that for once, they were totally powerless against something. "What are we going to do? We just sit here and wait for him to come and kick our asses? Pray again that we escape by some miracle? What if next time, we're not so goddamn lucky?"   
"I could get Deathscythe and squish him..."  
"Don't even go there, Maxwell."   
"Fortunately for us," said Dellmar, "We've in a very tall building. Normally it's got plenty of people, so Miles won't be able to just waltz in here. Nighttime, we can just post some people at the bottom floor, and some people at the top floor, and that'll be fine."  
"But what do we do if he comes!? How do we kill him?"  
"I don't know. I've never tried."   
Everyone was silent. The prospect of being trapped alone in a building with a human tank was not very pleasant.   
"How's this," proposed Dellmar, "Let's just wing it. We'll guard on the bottom floor like before, and in case he comes in, Zechs and Noin can just take an elevator down. Wufei can tap into the security, and try to delay Miles or something."   
"I guess that's the best plan on short notice," muttered Quatre.   
"Okay then. Duo and Heero can get the parking garage, Quatre and Trowa can get the bottom floor, while Wufei and I will take the second. Noin and Zechs stay on the third floor, so they can get down and out quicker," Dellmar said.   
"Ok. Let's do it."   
  
***********  
Duo sat with Heero in their car. Duo looked out the window, and spoke softly into his walkie-talkie, "All clear down here."   
"Ok, thanks," came Quatre's reply.   
Duo turned it off and looked at the Japanese pilot sitting next to him in the driver's seat. "Hey, Heero, I've been thinking...how long you think we can keep this up?"   
"Hm?"   
"You know...being hunted every day...escaping by the skin of our teeth every time...how long do you think it'll take before one of us dies? Or one of us breaks under the strain?"   
"I don't know."   
"I hate to be the God of Pessimism, but don't you think that Gary Miles guy is gonna get us sooner or later?"   
"Hn..."   
Duo sighed. "I don't know if I'm gonna ever see Hilde again...damn..."   
Suddenly, the lights in the garage went out. Duo snapped on his walkie-talkie. "What the hell just happened?"   
"I don't know!" shouted Quatre, "The power's off!"   
"SHIT!"   
"Duo, get out of the car, now!"   
Duo and Heero jumped out of the car. They ran for the stairway. Halfway there, Heero turned on his flashlight and his pistol. He aimed them into the darkness. A silloutte of a man with short brown hair and a gray jacket was walking towards them.   
"He's here!" shouted Duo, "Gary Miles is in the Building!"   
Heero and Duo ran up the stairs. It was near pitch black except for Heero's flashlight. "Get Noin outta here!" shouted Duo.   
"I can't!" came Wufei's peeved reply, "The elevators run on electricity too! The pregnant woman can't run down the stairs!"   
Heero thought quickly. "Get Noin on the roof then! Everyone, get on the roof! We can all protect her that way!" He continued sprinting up the stairs, Duo close to him. They heard footsteps closely behind them. Damn, Gary Miles was fast. By the sound of his feet, he was getting closer...  
Heero and Duo reached the third floor. They sprinted down the hall, where Quatre and Trowa were waiting for them. They slammed the stairway door shut and ran down the hall.   
Gary Miles was right behind them.   
The four pilots ran up the stairs. Past the fifth floor. Sixth. Seventh... "Where's Wu-man?" asked Duo. Trowa held up two fingers. HE was still on the second floor.   
"Barton, where are you?" came Wufei's voice from the walkie-talkie.   
Trowa reached the top of the stairs and opened the door. "Rooftop!"   
"Where's Noin?"   
Trowa looked in the dim light. Noin was standing at the building's edge, along with Zechs...no, Dellmar!  
"Where's Zechs?"  
"What? I don't know!"  
They heard a slam behind them. Gary Miles was on the rooftop with them. Heero aimed his pistol and opened fire. Gary Miles didn't slow down, but kept on coming. Heero backed away, and Duo leapt onto Miles' back. Miles casually flipped Duo over his shoulder into a wall. Duo slid onto the ground.   
Gary walked towards Dellmar and Noin. His eyes as cold as ice, he approached the two of them. Death seemed inevitable. Suddenly-  
A blur of motion to the left. Noin looked, surprised, to see a streak of blond hair...  
Zechs!   
Zechs barreled into Miles' back. The silent assassin looked genuinely surprised, as Zechs' charge took him off the building's edge. His arms flailed around, as he grabbed onto Zechs' collar, taking him with him off the edge of the building.   
In that moment, Zechs seemed frozen in space. His blue eyes locked with Noin's. In that one second, not a word was said, yet everything was understood. Zechs fell.   
"ZECHS!"   
The two figures got smaller and smaller. They fell for what seemed like an eternity, until they hit the cold pavement at the bottom.   
"Zechs, NO!"   
Noin, despite her condition, ran past the pilots. She walked down the stairs. Down to the sixth floor...the fifth floor...it took less than ten minutes to get to the bottom, yet it seemed like forever.   
Noin ran out the door. Two bodies lay on the pavement, blood slowly streaming out from under both of them. "Zechs..."  
Noin knelt in the sanguine pool flowing out from other the blonde pilots' body. She laid his head onto her lap, and looked into those peaceful eyes, now closed forever. His face was pale, as were his lips. She kissed them. They were already stiff, and cold to the touch.   
The other pilots and Dellmar stood nearby at the door of the building. It was a full ten minutes before an ambulance came, and during that time, the only sound to be heard was the quiet sobbing of Lucrezia Noin, softly cradling her husbands head into her hands.   
***********  
Three days later...  
"Ok, Noin, PUSH!"   
Noin gave an involuntary cry as contraction hit her. Her hand squeezed Relena Peacecrafts', who was sitting nearby along with all the other pilots. Noin grit her teeth.   
A head...two arms...  
"Yes, Noin, good! Push! Come on, you can do it!"   
The last foot came out, as the baby's cry matched everybody's cheer. But...  
"Holy..." said Duo.   
Noin screamed again. This time...  
"Twins?" asked Duo incredulously. Indeed, the two babies looked exactly identical. Their cries even sounded the same, as everybody in the room smiled and patted Noin on the back.   
"So that was the big secret, eh?" asked Hilde, smiling.   
Noin nodded, smiling back.   
"Have you given them names yet?" asked Quatre.  
"Yes...the boy is called Xander...and the girl's name is Jaya."   
"Xander and Jaya Peacecraft...not bad..." muttered Duo. Everyone smiled.   
Relena looked out the window. It was a beautiful day. The sun was shining, the birds chirping...a welcomed reception for the two new souls into this world. A gentle breeze swept the sweet smell of flowers into the room. Bees buzzed outside, busy with their assigned tasks. One particular bee stopped and landed on the window sill, as if listening to the laughter of the people inside.   
  
***********   
"Xander and Jaya Peacecraft...what lovely names."   
A figure in shadows listened to the tape recording. Computer screens flashed around the dark room.   
"And how is the rest of Operation Morpheus working?"  
"On schedule, sir. The Morpheus system is about 25% complete."   
"Excellent. If the whole operation proceeds as this has, in a couple of years, Earth shall be bowing at my feet."   
"Yes, sir."   
"Too bad we had to lose Miles in the operation. He'll be hard to replace."  
"Yes, sir."   
The figure listened to the people inside the hospital building talk. He turned to face the computer screen. The green light illuminated his face, revealing the masculine features of John Dellmar...  
"Laugh while can, laugh while you can."   
  
Liked it? Hated it? Thought it was confusing and made no sense? Any comments or anything of the like are appreciated. Keep in mind this is my first fanfic, so flame me if you must, but try to keep it light. If I get too many bad comments, my aspirations of becoming a fanfic writer will be killed, and I will sink into a traumatizing depression that will scar me for life:).   
  
  



End file.
